Native Fish Releases 2002-03

Note Number: FN0160 Published: May 2003

1. Native Fish Stocking Program

The department's native fish stocking program is designed to enhance native fish populations or establish new populations. Fish releases have two objectives: conservation and the provision of recreational fishing opportunities. In the case of trout cod the immediate aim is to ensure survival of this
endangered species.

Stocking Plans are developed annually as part of the man-agement consultation process between Fisheries Victoria and DPI Regional staff. The meetings consider in detail the performance of existing stocking programs, the results of stock assessments, creel surveys, angler diaries and anything
else that has or might impact on the fishery e.g. environmental conditions, water levels. Requests by client groups for changes to current stocking programs and the implementation of new stocking pro-grams are considered. VRFish, the Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body, represents recreational anglers
at these meetings.

Stocking Plans are subject to 'last minute' variation due to natural factors e.g. flood, drought, or man-made impacts such as excessive algal blooms, major works on storages, etc. Explanatory notes are provided where a planned release has been amended. DPI Regional staff
and VRFish agree to amendments before implementation.

Water Stocked

Month/Year

Fish Size(z)

Aust. Bass

Golden Perch

Murray Cod

Silver Perch

Trout Cod

Albert Park Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Avoca River

2/03

0.7

-

17,000

-

-

-

2/03

1.0

-

-

10,000

-

-

Batyo Catyo Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

U/S

-

Blue Rock Dam 6

12/02

0.06

25,200

-

-

-

-

3/03

0.34

10,000

-

-

-

-

Broken Creek

3/03

1.0

-

15,000

-

-

-

Broken River

3/03

1.0

-

20,000

-

-

-

Buffalo Lake

3/03

1.0

-

10,000

-

-

-

Bullen Merri Lake

11/02

1.2

10,000

-

-

-

-

Cairn Curran Res.

-

-

-

U/S

U/S

-

-

Campaspe River

Eppalock to Elmore

1/03

1.0

-

-

10,000

-

-

Elmore to Rochester

1/03

1.0

-

-

10,000

-

-

Axedale to Elmore

3/03

0.8

-

20,000

-

-

-

Charm Lake

1/03

200

-

-

5007

-

-

3/03

0.8

-

5,0001

-

-

-

Crusoe Reservoir

3/03

0.8

-

5,000

-

-

-

Cudgewa Creek

1/03

1.0

-

-

10,000

-

-

Cullulleraine Lake

2/03

1.3

-

-

20,200

-

-

3/03

0.8

-

10,000

-

-

-

3/03

0.36

-

-

-

10,000

-

Eildon Lake

-

-

-

U/S

U/S

-

-

Eppalock Lake

-

-

-

U/S

U/S

-

-

Expedition Pass Res

2/03

1.2

-

-

250

-

-

3/03

0.8

-

1,000

-

-

-

Glenmaggie Lake 6

12/02

0.06

16,800

-

-

-

-

3/03

0.34

15,000

-

-

-

-

Goldfields Reservoir

3/03

0.8

-

2,000

-

-

-

Goulburn River

Stewart's bridge to Toolamba

1/03

0.96

-

-

25,000

-

Stewart's bridge to Toolamba

1/03

189

-

-

2,5007

-

-

Greens Lake (Corop)

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Gunbower Creek

1/03

0.9

-

-

31,000

-

-

Hume Reservoir

3/03

1.0

-

35,0002

U/S

-

-

Kangaroo Lake

1/03

200

-

-

1,0007

-

-

3/03

0.8

-

10,0001

-

-

-

Kerford Lake

3/03

0.8

-

5,000

-

-

-

Kiewa River (Kergunyah)

1/03

1.0

-

-

20,000

-

-

King Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Kow Swamp

3/03

0.8

-

15,0001

-

-

-

Laanecoorie Reservoir

3/03

0.8

-

10,000

-

-

-

Landsborough Reservoir

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Little Boort Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Little Murray River

1/03

0.9

-

-

19,000

-

-

Loch Garry

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Loddon River

Above Bridgewater

1/03

200

-

-

1,0007

-

-

Above Bridgewater

1/03

0.95

-

-

10,000

Bridgewater to Kerang

1/03

0.95

-

-

10,000

At Newbridge

3/03

0.7

-

7,500

-

-

-

At Bridgewater

3/03

0.7

-

12,500

-

-

-

Serpentine

3/03

0.7

-

12,500

-

-

-

At Jarklin

3/03

0.7

-

7,500

-

-

-

At Kerang

3/03

0.7

-

5,000

-

-

-

Macalister 6

below Lake Glenmaggie

3/03

0.34

2,350

-

-

-

-

Meran Lake

-

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

Mokoan Lake

-

-

-

U/S

U/S

-

-

Nillahcootie Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Ovens River

1/03

1.0

-

-

-

-

44,2608

Redbank Reservoir

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Reedy Lake (first)

1/03

200

-

-

5007

-

-

3/03

0.8

-

5,0001

-

-

-

Richardson River

3/03

0.9

-

10,000

-

-

-

Sambell Lake

3/03

0.7

-

5,000

-

-

-

Serpentine Creek

3/03

0.7

-

5,000

-

-

-

Seven Creeks

3/03

1.0

-

5,000

-

-

-

Taylors Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Tchum Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Tullaroop Ck (Deep Ck)

3/03

0.8

-

5,000

-

-

-

Victoria Lake (Shepp.)

3/03

1.0

-

2,500

-

-

-

Waranga Basin

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Wooroonook Lake

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Wimmera River

Elmhurst to Green Ck

3/03

1.25

-

5,000

-

-

-

Dimboola

3/03

1.25

-

10,000

-

-

-

Jeparit

3/03

1.25

-

7,000

-

-

-

Horsham

3/03

1.25

-

5,000

5,000

-

-

Glenorchy

3/03

1.25

-

5,000

-

-

-

Gross's bridge

3/03

1.25

-

2,000

-

-

-

Horsham

3/03

0.38

-

-

-

5,000

-

Yarriambiack Creek

-

-

-

U/S

-

-

-

Species Total

679,350

296,500

189,950

15,000

44,260

2. Authorised Client Group Fish Releases

The Department authorises fish releases by client groups. The stockings may complement the Department's program, or may be waters for which the Department is unable to provide fish. Requests by client groups are considered in the consultation process described in Part 1. above. Approved proposals must
conform to the requirements of the Department's Policy Statement on Stocking Native Fish. Releases authorised by the Department for which fish stocking details have been confirmed are listed below. Authorised releases for which no stocking report has been received will be listed at some future date when
the required information is available. To indicate the extent of client group fish releases, details are presented as a separate section below.

NOTE: Under Section 530 of the Fisheries Regulations 1998, it is an offence to stock fish into any Victorian water, both pub-lic and private, without the written per-mission of the Director, Fisheries Victoria. Penalty: up to $2,000.

Water Stocked

Client Group

Month/Year

Fish Size (z)

Aust. bass

Golden perch

Murray cod

Anderson Lake (Chiltern)

Black Dog Game Fishing

-

-

-

U/S

U/S

Broken Creek 5

Picola Football Club

3/03

0.8

-

1,000

-

Bullen Merri Lake5

Futurefish Foundation

11/02

1.2

15,000

-

-

Caravan Park L. (Wedderburn)

Loddon Shire

5/03

2.0

-

600

-

Goulburn River 4

Below McCoy's Bridge

Futurefish Foundation

1/03

0.9

-

-

45,000

Harrietville Dredge Hole

Harrietville Prog. Ass.

n/a

-

-

500

-

Hazelwood Pondage

Futurefish Foundation

3/03

0.7

6,800

-

-

Little Murray River 4

Futurefish Foundation

1/03

0.9

-

-

10,000

Loddon River 4

Bridgewater to Kerang

Futurefish Foundation

1/03

1.0

-

-

15,000

Numurkah Lake

Numurhah Fishing Club

4/03

-

-

4,040

-

Goldfields Reservoir 2

Central Goldfields Shire

3/03

0.8

-

1,000

Wimmera River 4

Futurefish Foundation

3/03

0.8

-

-

5,000

Richardson River 4

Futurefish Foundation

3/03

0.9

-

-

6,000

Species Totals

21,800

7,140

81,000

3. Total Releases

Aust. Bass

Golden Perch

Murray Cod

Silver Perch

Trout Cod

Total

Department

79,350

296,500

185,950

15,000

44,260

621,060

Client Groups

21,800

7,140

81,000

-

-

109,940

Species Totals

101,150

303,640

266,950

15,000

44,260

731,000

4. Notes

Total release weights were 1,652kg for Departmental releases. These totals do not include the weights for several client group releases where no weight of fish data is available (noted by 'n.a.'). The month and year of fish release is expressed as 02/03. The first two digits are the month i.e. 3 =
March, the second two digits show the year 02 = 2002, 03 = 2003.

U/S - Water conditions unsuitable for stocking ie. low water level.

(z) - Average weight per fish in grams.

1 - Internally marked for research purposes. 2 - Golden Perch stocked by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of NSW Fisheries. 3 - Fish purchased, transported & released by Fisheries Victoria using RFL funds, on behalf of the Shire. 4 - Fish transported & released by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of the Futurefish Foundation. 5 - Fish purchased, transported & released by Fisheries Victoria on behalf of the Club. 6 - RFL funds contributed towards the purchase of these Australian bass. 7 - Dart tagged for research purposes. 8 -Funded by Department of Sustainability & Environment
(DSE).